Film review: Iron Man 3 (2013)

I am openly conflicted about “Iron Man 3.” On one hand, I am desperately trying to achieve objectivism in my review. I enjoyed it. It had a solid plot, it tied wonderfully to Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers,” and a majority of its special effects are a technical marvel. I thought that the casting was superb, and personally the inclusion of Sir Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce always make a filmbetter. All-in-all, the quality of the film sits snugly between the first and the second Iron Man films.

However, on the other hand, I was incredibly dismayed to learn that, “Iron Man 3” would be Robert Downey, Jr’s last standalone Iron Man film. In this context, “Iron Man 3” disappoints. It doesn’t invoke the same sense of finality that I experienced when watching Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Rises.” “Iron Man 3” felt like a strong mid-entry to the series, but not the epic conclusion that should be expected from the franchise. However, it has been pointed out to me that Robert Downey Jr. will reprising his role for “The Avengers 2,” so maybe a more adequate ‘conclusion’ to Iron Man will present itself within the confines of an Avengers film.

Personal reservations aside, “Iron Man 3” is a topnotch Marvel film. It dives into the character by making Iron Man fallible, resulting in a two-hour character exploration--One of both his weaknesses and strengths. The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley) and the founder of A.I.M. (Aldrich Killian played by Guy Pearce) are excellent villains and far superior than “Iron Man 2’s” subpar Whiplash (Mickey Rourke). I also enjoyed Marvel Studios’ deviation from the more-famous Iron Man comic book plots. It held true to the character (for the most part), but was removed enough to surprise comic book and films fans alike.

I thought that the special effects were top notch, save for the fire effects used for the A.I.M. henchmen. The were starkly different from the other special effect heavy scenes, which made them appear dated and cheap. The end sequence was gorgeously rendered and nearly all of the scenes involving the Iron Man armor were meticulously dazzling; they were fluid and excellently scripted.

My only complaint, besides the shoddy A.I.M. fire effects, is that Stark seems to break character towards the end of the movie. The script alters the very core of the character’s personality, and it as-if the exploratory elements of the film override the source of Iron Man. I am curious to see if Joss Whedon carries this new ‘Tony Stark’ into “The Avengers 2,” or decides to follow a more comic book-like rendition of the character that was presented to audiences in the first two Iron Man films. Whedon will be struggling between cohesion and character integrity, but with his directing and writing chops I am sure a happy median exists.

Overall, “Iron Man 3” is a good film. It is better than the last and is on par with the other Marvel Universe films. Besides my own comic book snobbiness and reluctance to see Robert Downey, Jr. leave the mantle, “Iron Man 3” is more than worth the price of a couple of movie stubs.

I give “Iron Man 3” four-stars-out-of-five.

(SOURCE: Film review: Iron Man 3 (2013))

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Review: Nova #2 (2013)

First off--I absolutely love the cover for Nova #2. The first one was stellar as well, but Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines, & Mart Gracia out did themselves with the second issue. I particularly love the background image. While paying homage to classic Science Fiction it manages to also respect older space opera Marvel titles. It is very reminiscent of late 90s Infinity Gems/Gauntlet and Warlock comics; it strikes a nostalgic chord, which I very much enjoyed. It is one of the many reasons that this title has skyrocketed to the top of my Marvel NOW! pull list.

The narrative has some amazing symmetry to it, whether intentional or not it is always appreciated due to the cadence created for the reader. Loeb starts the second issue right where the last left off, with Rocket Raccoonand Gamora standing over Sam Alexander’s bedside. Sam (still new to the whole Nova gig) is caught completely off guard and mistakenly calls Rocket Raccoon a “Raccoon,” which leads to one of the more amusing moments of the issue. I was a tad disappointed thatRocket Raccoon and Gamora didn’t have a larger role to play in this issue, but this isn’t necessarily a critique in the strictest sense, it is the comic fanboy in me wanting to jump the gun rather than allowing the story to naturally build and climax as Loeb intends it.

After the brief tussle between Rocket Raccoon and Sam, the issue dives into the typical young hero finding out about his new found powers. For those not familiar withNova this issue provides excellent insight into his basic skill set. Throughout the years various Novas have expanded upon these rudimentary abilities, which have resulted in some very interesting and clever combinations, but for Sam he is completely new to the whole affair. However, from a writing standpoint it creates a unique opportunity to alter and change the character’s power set. The series might start off a little slow, because the writer has to simultaneously introduce a new character to a knowledgeable audience as well as introduce a character to his new found powers, but odds are within a couple of issues the character will become more rounded out and the series will become more action-packed than ever.

This issue is definitely about the transformation and development of Sam Alexander into Nova (aka the Human Rocket). It is his origin tale, and getting characters caught up to speed on the ‘things’ bigger than themselves is a difficult task. I always enjoy reading an origins tale to see how the writer tackles this predicament, because the writer has to essentially balance the fact that the audience knows more than the character knows. Loeb is juggling pacing with character building. He needs to keep an audience with a slower narrative, but in the long run it will provide him the foundation to build a ‘new character from the ground up, which will eventually increase the pace.

The beginning and the end of Nova #2 were my favorite portions of the issues, but the fill-in is necessary and I hope readers don’t drop off because it is a bit too slow--Stick around, it will pick up. I think Loeb is doing a brilliant job reeling people in at the end, while character building in the middle.

I give Nova #2 four-out-of-five stars.

(Source: Review: Nova #2 (2013))

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Review: Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (2013)

Before the Marvel NOW! relaunch news of it was spreading through the newswires like crazy. The buzz was there, and the marketing gurus hired by Marvel were doing their job--and doing it well. In particular, the stories pertaining to Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy intrigued me the most. I am a Star Wars and Science Fiction nerd-a-holic, and the idea of Marvel rebooting their space opera series with some their most underrated and coolest characters was tantalizing to say the least.

Rocket Raccoon and Nova are some of the best comic book characters ever created, yet in modern times they have fallen from the mainstream. However, sometimes a lull in characters is a good thing. It allows for a generation to forget narrative mistakes and embrace a reboot by allowing the time necessary to solely remember and focus upon the more interesting aspects of ill-fated characters.

The central theme to Nova, Iron Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy is Guardians of the Galaxy. For those uninitiated, theGuardians of the Galaxy are a motley crew of superheroes that protect the galaxy. Their roster has changed a couple times over the decades, but the current line-up includes:Gamora the assassin, Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord), Groot, Drax the Destroyer, andRocket Raccoon (supposedly Iron Man will be a temporary member of the Guardians of the Galaxy as he meanders about the galaxy in search for something grander than himself).

Nevertheless, the characters are superb and it is an excellent ensemble script. Star-Lord is the leader of the group and stems from galactic royalty. His father is leader of the galaxy, while his mother was human. Created from a seemingly arrogant, uncaring alien father, Peter is the product of a tortured childhood and immense power. He vows to thwart his ambivalent father, while following a strict code of ethics. This willpower and charisma attracts the aforementioned characters to his side and thus the Guardians of the Galaxy were born. The group has always had close ties to Nova and the Nova Corps (a space cop agency of sorts), so with the relaunch of Marvel the titles of Nova, Iron Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy have all become increasingly intertwined in an effort to cross promote and explore characters that have either hit a wall or need a refresher.

The first issue of Guardians of the Galaxy starts off as an introduction to Peter Quill (Star-Lord) and his tumultuous relationship with his father. Brian Bendis starts small and then expands as the issue wanes to encompass the rest of theGuardians as well as setting up for the much larger issue at hand-- the protection of Earth.

Personally, I am not a huge Bendis fan, but my only exposure to him was his pre-Marvel NOW!work with the Avengers. However, his narrative here is exceptional and from a technical aspect incredibly polished and logically outlined. Steve McNiven’s artwork doesn’t draw that same nostalgic Science Fiction feel like Ed McGuinness does in Nova, but its scope is amazing the panels hit when they need to. I particularly liked the splash page featuring the Guardiansentrenched in a space battle with an alien ship. I am not a huge fan of the new Iron Man armor that Stark has been using since his journey into space, but I am not entirely sure who is responsible for the design. I am guessing that Iron Man artist Greg Land was instrumental in the design, and that other, follow-up artists are just following suit for continuity’s sake, but I have no hard evidence for that conclusion. However, I did enjoy McNiven’s character model for Peter Quill. I loved the first couple pages of the issue because it setup Star-Lord perfectly. He was unshaven and gritty, and having him introduced in a shady bar at the end of the galaxy harkened to Han Solo in the Catina in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Bendis and McNiven provide respect to those that deserve respect, while also creating a world of their own.

Overall, the issue is solid. The plot builds appropriately, and the art hits where it is suppose to. Thus far, I prefer Jeph Loeb’s technique in Nova over Bendis’ in Guardians of the Galaxy, but only by a hair. Ed McGuinness seems to focus more on Science Fiction nostalgia in Nova, whileSteve McNiven is driven by the moment. Both of which I appreciate, so as for favorites goes it is difficult to definitively decide. I would recommend giving both a whirl--you can’t go wrong.

Guardians of the Galaxy gets four-and-a-half stars out of five.

(SOURCE: Review: Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (2013))

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